... 1:2 and this being the largest shoulder to hip ratio in the stimuli. This could have been due to many factors, one of which being the participants perceiving the figure with the largest frame as unhealthy, especially in the health promoting morals of today's society. (Ricciardelli et al., 2002) This ties in well with the history of evolution. Through millions of years of evolution, broad shoulders on men have come be an indication of a strong immune system and great physical strength - which are both desirable attributes when selecting a mate, just as wide hips in women are a sign of fertility and health (Singh 1993). Over the years having broad shoulders has also become a sign specific to masculinity. Sign stimuli as coined by Tinbergen (1948), refer to the stimuli of a species that gives a reaction in another member of its kind. For example, Tinbergen investigated the ...

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